An 'Invisible' Disease
- Actress Christina Applegate, who older generations most remember as Kelly Bundy from the late ’80s and ’90s sitcom Married… with Children, turned 52 years old on Monday. The wife and mom, who has been living with the chronic, debilitating disease MS, is known for bravely sharing just how difficult her condition has been, inspiring others in her own way by not glossing over her darkest days.
- Despite the incredibly difficult life hurdles since her 2021 diagnosis, the Dead to Me Emmy winner, who is also a breast cancer survivor, has been pushing forward on her MeSsy podcast with best pal, fellow actress and MS fighter, Jamie-Lynn Sigler.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of the body’s nerves. Although there is no cure for MS, some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs. To help combat stress, check out SurvivorNet’s guided meditation video that can introduce you to this relaxing practice and begin exploring on your own and see what works best for you.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of the body’s nerves. Although there is no cure for MS, some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs.
Read More“The one thing we know that is always going to be there is the sun,” Applegate said in the chat of the only constant for her as an MS sufferer. “The sun is always going to be there every morning.” Expanding on her daily intention, she instructed people to “open your arms to the sun … [fucking] hold your arms out and go, ‘All my needs are met.'”
Applegate and Sigler kicked off the episode sharing that they recently hung out together at Applegate’s home while Sigler was visiting Los Angeles, laying in bed and chatting with one another, something Christina has repeatedly said is very therapeutic for her to feel supported, since going out tends to take a big toll.
During the show, Applegate became emotional talking about her stomach, her “ball of trauma,” as she refers to it, a place where she tends to hold all of her tension in life. She also discussed the process of writing her book, with Sigler pointing out that she is literally releasing her life’s trauma throughout that process.
“There is no end to this [disease]. But am I going to go on living my life? Yes.”
Applegate also acknowledged that she has unfortunately been looking more sickly. “People can’t see me, but I’ve been wasting away,” she shared, telling listeners that the last time she was pictured, she knows she was a “bigger girl,” but lately has been dropping weight and looks like a “stick figure” and “creepy small.”
Applegate said her medical team even asked if she had been taking the fad Hollywood drug Ozempic for weight loss, which she insisted that she has not.
RELATED: Brave Christina Applegate Admits She’s Battling ‘Depression’ While Living With Multiple Sclerosis
Sigler admitted to her friend that seeing her physicality “broke my heart” because “I know how sick you feel.”
Suffering from Nausea
Continuing to give an update on her ever-changing symptoms, Applegate said she has been suffering from nausea a lot this year and throwing up, which is beyond her control. “It was not intentional to look like this.”
She mentioned that she had to hold back from sharing what happened on the set of Married… with Children back in the day, the hit show starring Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal and David Faustino that ran from 1987 to 1997. Playing Kelly Bundy, she said she just had to “Buck up, buttercup,” sharing the issues in general that child actors go through.
On Tuesday, Applegate also displayed her more provocative sense of humor, quipping how they’re too old and “MeSsy” (pronounced “Em, Essy”) to give oral sex, that they would probably “topple over” while in the act.
It’s good to consistently hear that Applegate has not lost her sassy spirit and dark humor. The mom also melted when her 13-year-old daughter texted her, “I miss you,” while they were recording.
‘Everybody has different ways of it showing up’
Despite suffering from nausea contributing to her recent weight loss, Applegate seemed to be in pretty good spirits on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Applegate, who is also a breast cancer survivor, described what it is like for her on her most challenging days.
“I lay in bed screaming. Jamie and I have different — everybody has different ways of it showing up. I lay in bed screaming. Like, the sharp pains, the ache, that squeezing,” she described.
“I can’t even pick up my phone sometimes because now it’s traveled into my hands, so I’ll, like, try to go get my phone or get my remote to turn on the TV or sometimes, I can’t even hold them. I can’t open bottles now.”
The co-hosts, along with their guest, Napa Valley, Calif. baker Rory Kandel, then discussed the double-edged sword of still looking “fine.”
“The beauty of the invisible disease,” Applegate added.
Christina Applegate’s Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
Applegate began experiencing symptoms of multiple sclerosis for years before getting answers. She actually said she felt off balance during a dance sequence that occurred way back in season one of her dark comedy Dead to Me. She later noticed her aptitude for tennis started to fail.
“I wish I had paid attention,” she previously told the New York Times. “But who was I to know?”
It took several years of worsening tingling and numbness in her extremities before her diagnosis arrived while on set. This life-altering realization wouldn’t stop Applegate from finishing her portrayal of character Jen Harding, but she did need a break. Production of the final season ceased for about five months as she began treatment.
“There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better,’” Applegate said. “And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time.”
Applegate admits she’ll never fully “accept” her condition, but she did learn how to work with it. And she’s previously talked about how her former TV show was a cathartic outlet and safe space.
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.
Once the protective barrier is damaged, the spinal cord struggles to communicate to the body’s arms, legs, and other parts to function normally.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society lays out the different types of multiple sclerosis:
- Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is when an individual experiences a single neurological episode lasting 24 hours or less. CIS is what MS is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common MS among the million people battling the disease in the US, RRMS is marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
- Primary progressive MS (PPMS): These individuals have no flare-ups or remission, just a steady decline with progressively worse symptoms and an increasing loss of cognitive and body functions.
- Secondary progressive MS (SPMS): This almost transitional form of MS progresses from RRMS to PPMS.
In addition to balance issues, numbness, and tingling in the limbs, as Applegate experienced, other common MS symptoms include vision and bladder control problems. Mood changes and mental and physical fatigue are other symptoms people living with MS may experience, according to the National Institute of Health.
SurvivorNetTV Presents: Defying All Odds — A World-Renowned Doctor’s Incredible Journey Through MS
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains this disease as: “An unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, [MS] can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating, as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.” Investigators of the disease believe it to be an autoimmune disease.
Many people fighting MS experience muscle weakness and difficulty with coordination and balance.
Currently, there is no cure for MS, although some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs.
Practicing Mindfulness to Cope with Stress from Disease
Like Applegate, pioneer of mindfulness Dr. Deepak Chopra, believes how you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.
The meditation expert and chief wellness officer at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, has said that he devotes nearly three hours to a healthy routine every morning, beginning at 6 a.m.
Chopra’s morning involves meditation, yoga, and a few cups of coffee. The rising sun brings Applegate comfort as her only constant. Take a minute and think what your ideal morning routine looks like and try to stick with it.
Check out SurvivorNet’s guided meditation video that can introduce you to this relaxing practice with proven benefits and begin exploring on your own and see what works for you.
A Guided Meditation for the SurvivorNet Community
In this video, Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Maryland, takes us through the guided meditation. Ideally, Dr. Berman recommends using this relaxation technique once or twice a day or for 10 to 15 minutes a day in order to really begin experiencing the benefits that come from meditation.
Most importantly, the practice can help with mini resets for the body and mind, boosting mental strength to help you keep fighting, something that has appeared to improve for Applegate since first starting this journey, despite her physical setbacks.
“There is no end to this [disease],” she said in the Nov. 19 clip. “But am I going to go on living my life? Yes.”
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